LOAD
Osteoarthritis is a common and debilitating joint disease with no cure, affecting millions of people worldwide. Patients are encouraged to stay physically active, but the optimal level and type of joint loading differ per individual and remain poorly understood. Incorrect loading can worsen symptoms, while appropriate activity can support joint health and reduce pain.
The LoaD (Load Optimization for Osteoarthritis Disease) project focuses on identifying what constitutes healthy joint loading for individual patients with knee osteoarthritis. The goal is to develop personalized guidance and coaching strategies that help patients stay active in a safe and effective way in their daily lives.
The project brings together a wide multidisciplinary consortium of medical centers, technical universities, universities of applied sciences, and industry partners. By combining clinical expertise, data analysis, and technology development, the project aims to better understand how physical activity affects joint health and translate this knowledge into practical, personalized support tools.
Ultimately, LoaD aims to improve quality of life for patients by enabling tailored activity recommendations and smarter rehabilitation approaches.
The project is funded by the NWA-ORC program and involves partners including Erasmus MC, Ziekenhuisgroep Twente, TU Delft, LUMC, Radboudumc, TU Eindhoven, UMC Utrecht, Saxion, University of Twente, and multiple industry and societal partners. The project contact is Eliza Bottenberg.
